Announcements

The Texas Access to Justice Commission, in conjunction with the Texas General Counsel Forum, raised $48,583 for civil legal services during the 2nd annual Charity Golf Classic held Nov. 14 in San Antonio. This year’s event almost doubled the amount raised during last year’s inaugural tournament. The proceeds...

The Pro Bono Partnership announced that it has raised $1.7 million to date to provide free business legal assistance to hundreds of nonprofit organizations in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut through its Gala being held on October 16, at Cipriani 42nd Street in Manhattan. For a second consecutive year, the Gala is sold-out.
Cynthia McFadden...

The U.S. federal government announced it would be shutting down “nonessential” services after Congress was unable to reach an agreement on the funding of the federal government. Many agencies, including the Department of Justice, announced the impact the government shutdown would have on them.
“The government shutdown sends 800,000...

Responding to in-house lawyers’ renewed focus on contracts as a result of rapidly changing laws, use of new technology, business’ expanding global scope and increased demands for swift negotiations, the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC), a global bar association representing more than 30,000 in-house counsel, today launched the ACC...

The Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel, along with the FDCC Foundation, has been recognized by the President’s Society of Marquette University. This special recognition is bestowed on benefactors whose strong annual financial support provides students a transformative education with a commitment to academic excellence. Named for the...

On October 18, Laura E. Proctor of Nashville, Tennessee was elected first vice president of DRI-The Voice of the Defense Bar at the organization's annual meeting in Chicago. With 22,000 members, the 50-year old DRI is one of the three largest professional organizations of attorneys in the country and the largest to exclusively...

The State Bar of California is advising consumers that as of October 5, 2013, it is illegal for immigration lawyers and consultants to take money for services related to federal immigration reform until Congress acts.
AB 1159, authored by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego, was approved by the California Legislature last month. It went into...

The Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) will honor Sandra Leung, general counsel and corporate secretary for Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS), as the recipient of its 2013 Excellence in Corporate Practice Award. The award will be presented at ACC’s Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, CA, on Monday, October 28.
Established in 1996...

Attorneys interested in attending this year’s Annual Meeting in San Jose will have a new incentive to do so: cost savings.
For the first time, attendees will have the option of a purchasing a full meeting pass (starting at $450 with a new attorney discount available) or a two-day pass (starting at $325). Also new this year, the State Bar...

The Metropolitan New York Chapter of the Legal Marketing Association (NYLMA) honored four individual members and two committees with its annual Metropolitan New York LMA Awards for service to the chapter and the legal marketing profession. The Awards were presented at the New York chapter’s recent annual Summer Soiree at the Bryant Park Grill...

The Texas Access to Justice Commission will be honoring local bar associations, young lawyer associations, and State Bar of Texas sections who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to pro bono service and improving access to justice.
The Pro Bono Service Awards and the Deborah G. Hankinson Awards will be presented at the Bar Leaders Luncheon...

The Diversity Honors Gala, the nation’s premier awards program honoring leaders in the legal profession for diversity and inclusion, will return to the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City on Sept. 17. Hosted by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA), the gala will recognize legal departments and law firms from across...

The Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) continues to expand its global network with its first chapter in Asia. With more than 100 members representing more than 70 corporations, the ACC Singapore Chapter will provide programs, resources and networking opportunities to in-house lawyers in the region.
Leaders of the ACC Singapore...

The Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) is saddened by the passing of United States Senator Frank Lautenberg from New Jersey. Senator Lautenberg fought to improve the safety of his state’s citizens through legislation that brought an end to smoking on airline flights, raised the legal drinking age to 21, and the Toxic Right to Know law....

Mondelēz International (NASDAQ: MDLZ) on June 19 announced its legal department and legal services firm Axiom were named 2013 “ACC Value Champions” by the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC). The company and the firm were recognized for designing and executing a sophisticated process to collect, assess and interact with counterparties...

The New York City Bar Association has released a pamphlet entitled “Know Your Rights: A Guide to NYC Employment Law for LGBT workers,” which provides general legal information to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals who have questions about their workplace rights and employment laws applicable in New York City .
Drafted...

The Harris County judiciary, in conjunction with the Houston Bar Association, presented the fifth annual Harris County Bench Bar Pro Bono Awards to law firms, corporate legal departments and an individual in a ceremony on May 1 at the Harris County Civil Courthouse.
The awards program was established to recognize outstanding pro bono service...

The Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) and Microsoft Corporation announced at the HNBA Corporate Counsel Conference in Atlanta, Georgia a new, bold partnership designed to increase the number of Latino lawyers in U.S. intellectual property (IP) law. The highlight of the announcement was Microsoft’s pledge of $200,000 over three years...

Lawyers Alliance for New York announced its support of the Nonprofit Revitalization Act and Executive Compensation Act, proposed today by Attorney General Schneiderman, Senators Michael Ranzenhofer and Carl Marcellino, and Assembly members Jim Brennan and Steve Englebright. “This bill will lift antiquated regulatory burdens on the...

On May 15, 2013, more than 450 leaders from the legal, financial, and nonprofit sectors are expected to gather at Gotham Hall in Manhattan for Lawyers Alliance’s Business Law & Leadership Gala. The annual event celebrates the partnership between lawyers and nonprofits and their power to transform New York City communities.
This...

Recently, Association of Corporate Counsel president and CEO Veta T. Richardson visited the New York Stock Exchange NYSE Euronext and rang the closing bell.
Ms. Richardson joined executives from Corpedia and Corporate Board Members at the New York Stock Exchange NYSE Euronext to engage in a series of panel discussions about emerging business...

In anticipation of the April 11-12, 2013 meeting of the Advisory Committee on Civil Rules, Lawyers for Civil Justice and the defense bar organizations – IADC, FDCC and DRI – submitted two formal comments to the judicial conference urging the committee to adopt reasonable legal reforms that would ease the burdens of discovery for...

Aetna was selected out of all the law departments of corporations across the Northeast United States for demonstrating a commitment to diversity and creating and maintaining an inclusive workplace. The company will be recognized at MCCA’s Diversity Honors Gala in September.
Aetna recognizes the importance of diversity in all aspects of...

David A. Chaumette, founding partner of Chaumette, PLLC, is the new president of the Houston Bar Association (HBA). He took office on May 16 at the HBA’s Annual Dinner Meeting at River Oaks Country Club. Mr. Chaumette succeeds Brent Benoit of Locke Lord LLP. With over 11,300 members, the HBA is the fifth largest metropolitan bar...